


Alexithymia

by TheDarkOne121



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Rewrite, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues, Protective Siblings, Real Life, Sibling Love, Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-05-18 09:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14850152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkOne121/pseuds/TheDarkOne121
Summary: The drabbles of four girls who all want the same thing; what's best for their little brothers.???: So this is how you want to play?(An ARC V rewrite where Zarc had an older sister who was divided into four along with him and Ray during the Original World's destruction.)





	1. ???

It's funny how life works. One moment, there was nothing and next, life! Everything just shows up in a matter of seconds. Next thing we knew, everything begins to grow. Sure, it takes nearly a billion years to get what we have today but who questions it? We're all happy with what life has made for us. Well, I believe happiness is the right word. I never experienced the emotion but I was told it was supposed to the idea of satisfaction but on a different level.  
  
My brother explained to me that happiness was like feeling the sun on one's skin. I didn't know what he meant until spring came a few days after he gave his explanation to me. I can understand his words but I felt nothing when the wind went through of what was left of my hair. I did not feel content or the giggling feeling my brother experienced as he rolled down the hill we sat on to enjoy the change in weather.  
  
I did not feel anything. I was empty. It was something that I was accustom to when I first realized I was different from other kids. My family, well, they weren't so accepting of it.  
  
My brother would try different ways to get me to smile. A real smile. Not the ones where I would give to tell him that I thought his duels were excellent or that I am alright whenever he asks about my condition. He doesn't seem to understand why I can't feel emotions like he does and he's trying to find a way to solve that.  
  
I told him multiple times to not worry about it. I was born broken and I was fine being broken. He never listens.  
  
I watch him duel, listening to the crowd's wild cheers whenever he pulls off a move to entertain them. I will admit, his dueling style is unique and I can see the appeal of it. The only problem is I can't express these thoughts the way I believe my brother needs to hear. Strangely, I never felt frustration when my thoughts drift to that.  
  
Is it possible to have a dilemma when you don't feel any sort vexation from it?  
  
That was one answer I could never find. To this day, where the fire consumes the land, deafening screams bouncing off the chard remains. Meanwhile, a sinister, deep voice that's filled with untamable madness enters my ears as I lay on the destruction of what was once a bright green meadow with colorful flowers that used to stick out every now and then. Now, all that was left is a charred ground with dirt sticking to my clothes while ashes fly through the air.  
  
I had so many memories of him running through this meadow, none of them was filled with any sort of emotion. Even now, I can't feel anything.  
  
And do you know what was the most frustrating thing about all of this? I can't even be frustrated at my lack of emotions.  
  
Quite the dilemma, huh? I certainly think so.  
  
So, I bet you're all wondering how I got into this mess? Well, it's actually an ironic story. I bet someone would find this very funny because I understand ironic situations can hold a bit of humor to them. Remember how I said that we humans are happy with what life has given us? Well, what happens if there was one who wasn't satisfied with what was given to them? What if that human demands for something that's better than what was given to them?  
  
Obviously, the universe responded in kind and gave that human what they desired. When the other humans saw that they can get more than what was given, they ask for the same thing to be a better version of itself. The universe gave them what they wanted. It soon became an endless cycle of the universe trying to satisfy the humans' endless needs.  
  
Then came the day where the universe couldn't provide their desires anymore. So many resources were taken to make what the humans want but their products came at such a fast rate that not all the resources could come back in time. Although the universe tried to explain to them that it couldn't provide them anymore, the humans didn't take it well. Chaos was born as humans kept demanding for more, causing torture and misery everywhere they go.  
  
Why am I saying all of this? Because this is my life. My brother had always wanted to put a real smile on my face and he thought that if he got the crowd's input, one day he could make me smile. So, he listened to the crowd. Gave in to their desires of what they wanted to see in a duel. He listened to them because he had a mindset that if he could make so many people smile, maybe there was a chance to get his sister to smile.  
  
So, he experimented with his new dueling styles. I would watch him practice before he goes onto the field. I could hear the crowd cheering loudly in my ear but I never enjoyed them. I just gave out these small smiles whenever I see my brother winning.  
  
When one experiment failed, he tried another.  
  
The only time I step in was when his dueling became violent and he actually sent a person to the hospital.  
  
But he didn't listen to me. He just kept going on with what the crowd wanted.  
  
A year passed and he finally realized that I was broken. Nothing he did could fix me.  
  
That devastated him. He wanted me to smile more than anything in the world.  
  
Fate is cruel, little brother.  
  
He had tried to tell the crowd that he could no longer perform these violent duels since his purpose for them has failed. The crowd roared, they wanted more violent entertainment and their only source of that entertainment could no longer provide that. The started to scream, cry, and beg for him to continue these violent duels but he refused.  
  
Then they turned their hatred and greed on me.  
  
That was what killed my brother and gave birth to the Devil that's currently destroying the world around me.  
  
But all I could think about at that moment was my brother; the boy whose sole purpose of being born was to make me feel emotions, the boy that I had to raise when our home wasn't right for him anymore, the boy that I had to sell my own hair for, the boy who I let die and played a part in creating this monster.  
  
I wonder when that monster was going to notice me and destroy me like the rest of the humans.  
  
"You need to get out of here!"  
  
I blink open my eyes and turn my head in the direction where I heard the voice yell.  
  
There stood the Goddess, duel disk ready to defeat the Devil that's running amuck in our world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my little Darklings! Now, don't worry, I'm still working on "A Demon's Smile" but this idea has been running around my head for quite a while so I decided: "Eh, why not?"
> 
> So, if any of you guys remember from my notes in "A Demon's Smile", I asked you guys how would feel if I wrote a story where the Yuboys had sisters, right? Well, ta-da!
> 
> In case you guys haven't already guessed, this is a re-write the original series. I'm going to do a little experiment on how far I can divert this from the canon and still make it a good quality story for you guys to enjoy. Hoped you enjoyed the little prologue I left for you guys!


	2. Kaiya: The Park

Yuto likes to be bounced.  
  
That was what Kaiya had learned about her newborn brother when she sat on the bench within one of the many beautiful parks that were in Heartland City. She had stopped to take a rest from carrying Yuto all day. She let herself enjoy the nice warm weather and drowned herself in the breeze. Her leg started to twitch slightly out of reflex from the added weight to it.  
  
Yuto began to giggle when that leg bounced him a bit. Kaiya took notice and adjusted her grip to make Yuto bounce once again.  
  
The newborn boy did a belly laugh this time.  
  
"Aw, do you like that?" she asks in her "baby-talk" voice, drawing another laugh from Yuto. "Does little Yuto like to be bounced? Is he a bouncy baby?"  
  
Yuto claps his hands together with a big smile on his little chubby face. The sight brought a warmness to Kaiya's heart. Her brother's smile was the most precious thing she ever saw.  
  
She will do her best to keep that smile on his face.  
  
"I guess it's getting late," the brown-and-orange-haired girl says when she notices the sunset through the trees. "Time to go home, right Yuto?"  
  
No reply from her brother, probably because he fell asleep after his little laughing spree.  
  
Kaiya giggles at the sight before she stands up with Yuto cradled in her arms. She then walks over to the district of houses.  
  
She walks past a few houses, looking for their designated one. It was only when she reached a dead end that she realized something.  
  
They didn't have a home.  
  
That explained why she was walking around outside for hours. She must look a little strange to bystanders when they see a five-year-old girl carrying her newborn brother in her arms as they walk by.  
  
Yep, definitely strange.  
  
"We sure are strange people, right Yuto?" What she got in response was a little snore, something that makes her giggle.  
  
Her brother was so cute!  
  
"Time to go house-hunting!" she cheers loudly, something that stirs Yuto only slightly. But he went back to sleep when she walks down another street in search of their new home.  
  
This was going to be an adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Xyz counterpart, Kaiya!


	3. Nagi: The Orphanage

"Nagi-chan?"   
  
The girl blinks her aquamarine eyes in surprise and turns her head away from the window in the direction she heard that voice come from. A young woman in a black dress with white apron and a black veil over her head to cover her hair from the view. The older woman had a concerned look in her dark eyes.   
  
"Is everything alright, Nagi-chan?" the brown-and-teal-haired girl nods quickly. "Are you sure?" another nod. "You know I'm only asking because, well, the other adults and I have noticed that you don't play with the other kids."   
  
"Yugo always falls asleep during playtime," was the five-year-old's reply, gesturing to the sleeping bundle she's holding close to her chest.   
  
The woman nods almost awkwardly. "Yes... Um, we have also noticed that you devote almost all of your time to your brother. It must be tiring to look after a baby all by yourself. How old is he now, three weeks?"   
  
Nagi nods again, her eyes locking on her sleeping brother, not minding the small drool from him that's currently staining the dress the adults just got her.   
  
"You know that there are some adults here who can help raise Yugo, Nagi-chan," the woman continues, making Nagi hold her brother tighter. "I understand that he's the only family you have left and considering how he's so young that you feel obligated to take care of him but there's so much that a girl your age could handle."   
  
"I take care of Yugo," the woman sighs. Those were the words that Nagi uttered when the woman first tried to take Yugo from her arms.   
  
"And I understand that," she goes on. "We'll just give you some help in providing-"   
  
"I. Take care of. Yugo."   
  
Nagi's voice was serious and firm. There was no point in arguing with her when Nagi gets into that tone.   
  
"Just come to the dinner table when the time comes," was the woman's last words to her before walking away.   
  
Nagi watches the woman leave the room until she was out of sight. She turns her attention back to the window, where she watches the lights of the City flash across her eyes.   
  
They were so beautiful. If only she were a Top then she could bring Yugo to see these amazing lights.   
  
Speaking of Yugo, Nagi felt his little arms moving upward, resulting in her pulling back to see her brother slowly open his eyes tired eyes while he brings his small fists to rub.   
  
"Good morning, you chunky banana," Yugo blinks at the sound of his sister's voice but a huge smile appeared on his face when he sees her face. "Are you ready to play with Rin?"   
  
Rin was one of the few babies, along with Yugo, that the orphanage had taken in. But out of all the babies, Yugo liked to be with Rin the most. If Nagi didn't know any better, she would say that Yugo had a big crush on the baby girl. An infatuation when he's only three weeks old, how sweet!   
  
Yugo immediately starts to giggle at the thought of Rin, something that makes Nagi smile before she stands up and heads over to the nursery.   
  
There lay Rin in her crib, that strange bracelet with a green gemstone was in her little hand. When Nagi first saw the bracelet, she was confused on how a small baby like her could carry that around. But none of the adults could get it off of her so Nagi learned to accept that bracelet.   
  
She still can't shake the feeling of a multi-color light filling her vision and someone's blood-curdling scream as her first memory.   
  
"Hi, Rin," Nagi says softly to the baby, who looks up in interest. "Look who's here to see you."   
  
She gently lowers Yugo next to Rin. As soon as she lets go, Yugo immediately glomps on Rin, causing them to fall on their side. Nagi laughs at Rin's annoyed face while Yugo rubs his cheek against hers.   
  
Nagi decides to leave them alone to have a moment. She uses this time to walk over to the fridge to find something for the three of them to eat. She was about to open it when she noticed something on the fridge that she didn't see before.   
  
Strange... They almost look like buttons but...   
  
"Looking at the new magnets we got?" Nagi turns around to see another woman in charge of the orphanage smiling down at her. "It was hard to get them but we managed. Do you like the colors, Nagi-chan?"   
  
"What's a magnet?" Nagi did see the appeal of the colors but she was more curious about the new word she just learned.   
  
"Well, it's this special little device that can stick onto these surfaces called metal. See," the woman uses two of her fingers to pick up a bright green one, Nagi noticed how it seemed to show little hesitance of leaving the fridge before it came off. "It sticks just like that."   
  
The woman then places the green device back on the fridge's surface. It didn't fall down like Nagi expected it too, it stayed right on the white surface.   
  
White and green...   
  
She had vague memories of cutting some white hair but leaving the long green parts behind.   
  
Those memories were weird because she was a hundred percent sure that she didn't have white and green hair.   
  
"Here you go, Nagi-chan," Nagi blinks and finds the green magnet from before right in front of her face. "You can keep this one if you want."   
  
Well, those things do look interesting. Nagi takes the magnet from the woman's hand. "Thank you, Sensei..."   
  
The woman smiles gently before leaving the room, allowing Nagi to inspect the small device.   
  
Not all of it was made out of the green plastic like Nagi thought. It was like a coin; two sides were different from the other. There was the green side that was made out of plastic and the other side was this smooth black surface. She gently traces her finger on the material. It was so leveled compared to most of the things in this orphanage.   
  
She likes it. Maybe she'll keep it around and show it to Yugo later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our Synchro counterpart, Nagi!


	4. Hanako: The Alleyway

Poles? Check.   
  
Drapes? Check.   
  
Secluded alleyway where no one will find and bother them? Check.   
  
Hanako thought it would better for her and Yuri that if they stayed in a secluded area for now. After five weeks of exploring the City and getting strange looks from adults and children alike, Hanako began to worry if somebody was going to take Yuri away from her - especially with the way she sees the adults whispers about her when she walks by with Yuri in her arms. So, they'll just stay in this place for a while until the adults decide to leave them alone.   
  
She didn't understand why but Hanako had a crippling fear of being separated from her brother. Sure, it has yet to happen since all the five-year-old could remember was walking around the City with Yuri in her arms so he hasn't left her yet. But there was something past her first memory that brought her fear of separation from Yuri. She wasn't a hundred percent why she felt this trepidation when she tries to look beyond her first memory but she knew that awful person laughing maniacally in her head was anything but good.   
  
She won't let that man take her brother. He won't.   
  
Gurgling noises from behind her caught Hanako's attention. She turns around to find Yuri, laying on top of the blanket she left him on, awake and looking over at her with his little arms reaching out.   
  
She quickly finishes the last support for their makeshift tent before heading over. A small smile spreads across her dark face as she picks her brother up and cradles him in her arms. Yuri begins to laugh at this, especially when some of her sister's ebony black hair gets near his face. His chubby little fingers slowly comb through the black tresses and, thankfully, never yanking on them.   
  
Her smile grows bigger; Yuri always did have a fascination with her hair, especially the black part of it. She found it strange at first since she thought he would be more interested in her two side strands since their purple color match a part of his own unique hair but she didn't question it. Besides, she found it funny when he would fuss over her hair.

_Pat pat pat pat_

Hanako looks up from gazing softly at Yuri to see the rain pouring down. Thanks to their makeshift tent they were free of the cold dripping water that could make them sick if they had stayed out there. Hanako gripped Yuri closer to her as she slowly sits down on top of the pile of blankets as her dark eyes scan the area.   
  
Nobody was in sight. Good, she picked the perfect spot.   
  
A sharp pain quickly spread from behind her eyes to the entirety of her skull, making her yelp and lower her head slightly. Images of bright, multicolored lights flash through her eyes, the sound of people screaming while the smell of smoke filled her lungs. Her breath got caught in her throat when she heard that horrible laughter enter her ears, filling her with mixed emotions of fear, horror, devastation, and contempt.

_"Just as you all wished,"_ the evil voice spoke, causing Hanako to flinch as shivers ran down her spine. _"I have become even stronger and become a greater force of power!"  
_

Hanako screams when her head was finally cleared of those horrible images. She pants slightly in hopes to calm her panic heart. She stops when she hears the sound of crying and looks down to see Yuri, red-faced and large tears streaming down his chubby face.   
  
She had scared him when she screamed like that.   
  
"No, no, no, no!" she quickly rocks him back and forth in hopes to calm him. "Please don't cry, Yuri, I'm so sorry!"   
  
Rocking him seems to have calmed him down, despite the occasional sniffing. Seeing this, Hanako bends down and presses her lips on top of his pale forehead. That's what did it; a small smile appeared on his face before Yuri closes his eyes and found himself off to dreamland.   
  
Hanako sighs in relief; she hates it when Yuri would cry like that.   
  
Her gaze falls back to the wet landscape, her mind drifting back to those images. While she didn't understand what they mean she knew that the man laughing in her head is nothing but bad news.

Whoever he is she won't let him get to Yuri. Nobody will take him from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the Fusion Counterpart, Hanako!


	5. Mari: The Sakaki Family

Mari had noticed the couple watching her and Yuya the first time they went into the park seven weeks ago. She had brought Yuya over to the swings after seeing a mother put her toddler on one and set him in. Despite the height disadvantage, Mari still found a way to swing her baby brother by gently guiding his little foot. The action makes Yuya burst into a fit of laughter, causing a small smile to appear on Mari's tanned lips.  
  
His laughter was like music to her ears.  
  
After a few swings, Mari had begun to get a feeling that someone was watching her. So, the ever brave girl she was, Mari turned to look over her shoulder while she kept swinging Yuya.  
  
There was a couple sitting on a bench a couple of feet away from her. The woman had green eyes and long blonde hair, similar to Mari's own eyes and hair if the young girl didn't have the pink side tails framing her face or her dark skin tone. The man sitting next to her had black hair and golden eyes while wearing the most ridiculous outfit Mari had ever seen in her life - and that said something because she didn't remember anything beyond making her and Yuya's tent a couple of days ago.  
  
They were looking at her and Yuya with these strange gazes in their eyes that make Mari shift uncomfortably on her feet. Why are they looking at her and her brother like that? This place is public to everyone, so shouldn't they mind their own business? Unable to take their stares anymore, Mari shoots them a glare before taking Yuya off the swing and heading back to their makeshift home.  
  
She often looked back to see if the couple were following them. Thankfully, they weren't.  
  
But when Mari brought Yuya back to the park, the couple were back on the same bench, watching them. A frown formed on Mari's face. This continued to happen as the weeks gone by.  
  
Frankly, in the seventh week, Mari had enough. Taking her brother off the swing, she stalks over to the couple, who look a bit startled by her sudden approach as the man leans back when she got closer.  
  
"Why are you staring at us?" she demands once she's close enough. Her blunt response left the two speechless.  
  
"Um, are your parents nearby?" the woman asks. Mari blinks at her question.  
  
"Parents?" the woman nods.  
  
"Yes, your mother and father, do they know you two are out here?"  
  
Mari couldn't make sense of this woman's questions. Why was she asking like she and Yuya were supposed to have parents? She knows what parents are but she and Yuya never had any. They were just...there. It was just the two of them as far as Mari could tell.  
  
"We don't have parents," she tells them honestly.  
  
Somehow they must have heard something different because those looks were back. "Oh, we're so sorry," the man tells her softly. "We understand that it must difficult without your parents around-"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Mari cuts him off before he can continue. "Why are you talking like Yuya and I have parents who died? We never had any parents."  
  
"Yuya? Is that this little guy's name?" Mari found herself freezing when the man said that. Why did she make a careless mistake like that?!  
  
She brings her now sleeping brother closer to her chest as she begins to back away. "Don't follow us," she tells them with the best glare she could muster on her face before she quickly turns and ran.  
  
"Wait!" Mari didn't even make it that far when a large hand clamps down onto her shoulder, stopping her from moving forward. She whips around and prepares her right foot to kick the man in the place she knows it hurts when he places another hand on her other shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry, we didn't understand what was going on," he tells her before he turns his gaze to Yuya, who is still sleeping away, while the woman runs up to them. "You two... You don't know who your parents are?"  
  
Why are they still asking those questions?! "Yuya and I never had parents; we didn't come from a mother or a father."  
  
Now it looks like she's confusing them. "U-Um, little girl, I hope you do realize that babies - like your brother, there - come from someplace, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I know," she nods. "But Yuya and I are just here. We have no parents, it's just the two of us."  
  
The two adults were blinking at her with looks that were different from the ones they were giving her before. "Give us a second," the man tells her before he and the woman turn and whisper softly at each other.  
  
Mari had thought of running again when they did that but her logic told her that they would just follow her again if she did that. So, she waits for them to finish while readjusting her grip on the sleeping Yuya - her brother sure does like sleep-in.  
  
Finally, the two turn around and gave her warm smiles. "Sorry, we haven't introduced ourselves, have we? My name is Sakaki Yusho," the man says with a hand to his chest.  
  
"And I'm Sakaki Yoko," the woman adds in. "Would you like to tell us your name?"  
  
Mari didn't know what they were doing or how introducing themselves is going to change anything but she decides to humor them. "Mari..."  
  
"Mari? Oh, that's an adorable name!" the woman, now called Yoko, gushes while the color pink forms on her cheeks. Mari blinks up at her, unamused while Yusho appears to be laughing at her antics.  
  
"Anyway, Mari," Yusho continues once Yoko has calmed down. "Do you and Yuya have a place to stay?"  
  
If they count the makeshift tent Mari had made weeks ago then they do. "Yeah..."  
  
"And do you live in that place all by yourselves?" Again, why are they so curious to know?  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Well, that simply won't do!" Mari blinks at Yoko's sudden tone. "I don't know who in their right mind would leave a poor defenseless girl alone with her baby brother but I will not stand for this!"  
  
...  
  
Did that old lady just call her defenseless?  
  
"How about you and your brother come and stay at our house?" Yusho suddenly offers, making Mari turn to him with wide, disbelieving green eyes. "It would just seem wrong to just leave you two alone like that forever. You two can stay at our house for a day and you can decide if you want you and your brother to live there full-time."  
  
Mari weighed her options; she still didn't trust these people and she's the only one who can take care of Yuya. But, they would still probably follow her to the tent if she says no so there wasn't much she could do. After all, Yuya's safety and happiness is her first priority.  
  
So she agreed and that was how she found herself sitting in the backseat of a car, Yuya still in her arms.  
  
As the car ride goes on, Mari took the time to plan their escape; when the Sakakis are asleep, she'll take Yuya and sneak out. It might not be the best plan since they were getting further away from their tent but it was better than nothing.  
  
She looks down at her brother, who still continues to sleep on, obvious to what's been happening so far. She tucks him closer to her chest and waits for them to arrive at their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last, but not least, the Standard counterpart; Mari!


	6. Kaiya: A New Rival and Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back to our Xyz counterpart, Kaiya! Let's see what she's doing...
> 
> (Also, this is my first time writing duels so wish me luck!)

"Ready to see your first up-close Dueling Tournament, Yuto?" Kaiya asks after she finishes tying the brown part of her hair into pigtails. She let her orange side-tails fall to the sides of her face, framing her dark-skinned cheeks perfectly. Kaiya giggled at herself in the mirror's reflection; a lot of people said she looked like a kid with the way she styled her hair but she didn't mind. After all, how else was she supposed to duel when her hair keeps getting in the way?  
  
No reply from her brother makes Kaiya turn to see Yuto fumbling with his little bow tie. The sight made the twelve-year-old chuckle; for some reason, Yuto has this funny obsession of looking like a little gentleman. Whenever she took him shopping once she earned enough money, Yuto would always drag her over to the formal section. If she was lucky then she could sneak in some goofy sweaters - of course, Yuto would probably do anything he can to avoid them.  
  
It was still so cute to see him fuss over his appearance like he's trying to impress all the little girls out there. Oh, she can only imagine his teenage years where all the girls would be fawning over him-!  
  
Oh, look at that. He's still having trouble with his bow. Laughing softly, Kaiya walks over to the bed and kneels down in front of him. "Do you want me to do it?"  
  
Yuto pouts - Kaiya found her internally laughing because Yuto had started this phase where he acts like a mini-adult, trying to do things his own way - but lets her help him. He stands still as Kaiya finishes tying his bow.  
  
"There!" she pats his shoulder. "Now are we ready to go?"  
  
Yuto looks up at her curious gray eyes. "Are you really going to the tournament with an outfit like that?"  
  
Kaiya blinks and looks down at her yellow tank top underneath her green cardigan and blue shorts. "What's wrong with my outfit?"  
  
"You look like one of those big models I would see on the TV."  
  
"Have you been watching that American model show again?" Yuto's red cheeks immediately confirm this, making Kaiya laugh. "Just for the record, Yuto, this outfit has nothing to do with those super fashion models. I'm just wearing this because it's easier to duel in."  
  
"Then why are you wearing those high heels?"  
  
"They're boots, Yuto. There's a difference."

* * *

After arriving at the tournament, Kaiya had dropped Yuto off at his seat in the front row and quickly headed over to the place where she would wait until her name was called. While she waited, Kaiya took the time to shuffle her deck.  
  
Kaiya was always one to play fair while coming up with new strategies. Right before every duel, Kaiya would shuffle her deck herself before her duel disk does so she won't have any idea where all of her cards could be. It was only fair since Duel Monsters was pretty much a luck-and-strategy-based game to her.  
  
Besides, she's pretty good at adapting. Which is why her Water Dimension Deck works so well with her; water can always adapt to its new environment, it never really goes away.  
  
"You've seen her plenty of times before," Kaiya looks up when she hears the announcer from the speaker. "The little girl who came out of nowhere but has grown up to become a fine duelist-!"  
  
Realizing that they were announcing her, Kaiya quickly put her deck in her duel disk and hurries over to the bright light in front of her.  
  
"-with her own Water-based deck, give a round of applause to the Water Queen, herself, Kaiya!"  
  
Kaiya bursts from the darkness and into the bright sunny day where she can see more than a thousand Heartland residents watching her from their seats. As soon as she was in view, the crowd immediately began to clap their hands and cheer at the sight of her. Kaiya finds herself smiling, especially when she hears Yuto cheering as well. She quickly flashes the crowd a peace sign - her signature pose - before turning her attention to her opponent; Kurosaki Shun.  
  
The boy was ten, younger than her by two years, and currently staring at her with yellow eyes that look more mature than they're supposed to be.  
  
"So, you're the famous Water Queen I've been hearing so much about," Shun comments with unimpressed eyes. "The girl who started her dueling career when she was five-years-old just so she can earn some money."  
  
Kaiya chuckles at that. It was true; Kaiya had become a duelist and participated in tournaments just so she could earn the prize money. It wasn't like people were just willing to give two kids on the street money but Kaiya knew that she and Yuto needed a house so she took the deck she had found in her pocket and used that to participate in the tournaments. The money she got whenever she won or got to the Top Four was enough for her to buy that studio house, their clothes, and their food so Kaiya didn't have any complaints.  
  
"Well, it's not like I have any parents around that could leave behind a family fortune," she jokes lightly, not caring about the surprised look from her opponent. "Anyway, shall we?" she activates her duel disk with a wink.  
  
Shun shakes his head to get over the shock and activates his own duel disk. "Let's..."

* * *

The moment Shun had destroyed her Hippocampus - Rainbow Tail, Kaiya knew that this has to be one of the best duels she has ever been in. She smiles as she sends her Hippocampus - Rainbow Tail to the Graveyard.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Shun questions as Raid Raptors - Blaze Falcon floats back to his side. "You do realize that you only have five hundred life points left, right?"  
  
"Oh, I know," Kaiya chuckles. "It's just you're the first person that's making me activate Rainbow Tail's second effect!"  
  
Shun's eyes widen. "Huh?!"  
  
"When Hippocampus - Rainbow Tail is destroyed, the Water Princesses of the ocean take notice and immediately confront this beautiful sea horse's destroyer. I summon Water Princess - Scylla and Water Princess - Charybdis onto the field!"  
  
Two monsters appeared next to each other; one of them looked like a sea serpent with five heads and the other one looked like a whirlpool with gigantic teeth in them. Shun actually took a step back at the number of monsters Kaiya was able to summon with just one monster in the Graveyard.  
  
Meanwhile, Kaiya was looking at her monsters' cards in interest. "Oh, look at that! Both of them are level six monsters! That works for me and my story because once Their Highnesses see Rainbow Tail's destroyer they immediately call in the big one that's in charge of the sea. You've all been waiting for this, folks, it's time to call in the big fellow!"  
  
The crowd began to cheer once they realize what's about to happen.  
  
"I overlay my Level Six Water Princess - Scylla and Water Princess - Charybdis in order to build the Overlay Network," at once, the two Water Princess monsters turn into blue sparkles as they are absorbed into this black and yellow vortex. "Never mess with the forces of nature because Mother Nature is not a force to be reckoned with, watch as she descends to Earth in the form of Rainbow Tail's home. I Xyz Summon; Mother Nature - Water Goddess!"  
  
A creature made entirely out of water appeared on the field once the vortex was gone. Upon closer inspection, a humanoid shape could be made out with a feminine physique. Shun shifts slightly, unsure of what to make of this new monster.  
  
"I activate Water Goddess's effect!" Kaiya suddenly announces. "When I Xyz Summon her to the field, I get to attack your Lifepoints directly and since you only have nine hundred Lifepoints and Water Goddess has a thousand attack points, I think you know what this means!"  
  
Shun's eyes widened in complete shock. "N-No way!"  
  
"Tidal Wave attack!"  
  
Water Goddess's body suddenly falls to the ground like normal water before it rises up like a wall. It then moves towards Shun at high speed, resembling a huge tidal wave. Shun could only do nothing but watch as the attack knocks him onto as the back while he loses of all his Lifepoints.  
  
Kaiya's face turns up on the big screen with the word 'Winner' underneath. Said girl smiles and waves to the roaring crowd celebrating her victory, even laughing when she sees Yuto jumping up and down in excitement. It was good to see his inner child coming out from that big adult exterior he built up.  
  
When she turned to look back at her opponent, Kaiya could feel the smile slipping from her face when she sees that he hasn't moved from his position on his back. Her sisterly instincts took over as she ran over to him. She bends down as he opens his eyes. "You okay?"  
  
His eyes open and looks a little startled seeing her there before nodding. "Y-Yeah..."  
  
The smile instantly returns to her face and Kaiya lets out a relieved chuckle. "That's good! For a second there, I almost thought I drowned ya," she offers him a hand. "You know, you're actually the first person to make me resort to using Rainbow Tail's second effect in quite a while. That was the most fun match I've had in ages."  
  
Shun was staring at her hand with unreadable eyes - and Kaiya could've sworn she saw a hint of redness on his cheeks - before he smirks and grabs her hand.  
  
"And you're true to your title," he remarks. "But next time we meet on the field, Mother Nature is going to have a piece of her own medicine."  
  
Kaiya actually found herself laughing at that as she helps the younger boy up to his feet.  
  
Her laughter was cut short, however, when a familiar voice screams out.  
  
"Hey! Stop looking at Nee-san like that!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think I did pretty well for my first time writing a real duel. I'm not going to write all the duels, though, just the ones I feel like have a bigger impact to the story.


	7. Nagi: A Talk with Rin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are some more cute moments!

Nagi lets out a long, drawn-out yawn before putting her mouth back in its place and resuming her focus on the water in front of her. The thirteen-year-old was sitting near the lake with her legs crossed together. Next to her was a long stick that looks similar to a fishing rod with a string attached to it. The most of the string was actually in the water, the place where Nagi was keeping her aquamarine eyes locked on for quite a while.  
  
A part of her knew that she wasn't actually fishing for real but it kind of gets boring after years of doing this. Nagi would rather pretend that she was waiting for an actual fish instead of pulling the string up every few seconds because it gives her more time to look at the lake in front of her.  
  
This was one of the lakes that's underneath the City's duel lanes when a Turbo Duel would take place. Nagi could only imagine this place is supposed to be the Tops' scenic view of a Turbo Duel. According to one of the ladies at the orphanage, some of the Tops would throw yen coins into the water in order to wish for their betting Duelist to win - Nagi guessed that they're probably wishing for the Security to win against any Commoners who managed to steal a D-Wheel.  
  
As a result, the lake was probably filled with a lot of yen coins but a Commoner knew better than to jump in and get them. The lake was triggered with thermal sensors; if a human being were to jump in then the thermal sensors would set off an alarm that would trap a person in an electric net until Security comes.  
  
The only reason why Nagi knows this is that she's seen it happened to a Commoner who tried to jump in the lake but ended up getting shocked by the net. Nagi had hidden behind a trash bin when Security came and took that near-dead Commoner away.  
  
So, no jumping into the lake that day.  
  
Thankfully, Nagi's childhood fascination with magnets came in handy for her search for money. She had learned a while ago that yen coins were made of metal, something that she knew that can be attached to magnets. She had asked the woman who gave Nagi her first magnet about magnets that can attract coins. The woman was nice enough to tell her that a neodymium magnet is best to use for coins and actually went out and got her one.  
  
Eight-year-old Nagi had never been so excited. Even two-year-old Yugo didn't know how to handle his sister's excitement and ended up falling right on his bottom in response.  
  
As the years had gone by, Nagi has used her neodymium magnets to go magnet fishing for coins. Originally, Nagi had used the money she got for clothes and food but now it's for buying machinery for Yugo and Rin's D-Wheel. Apparently, some Commoner by the name of Jack Atlas was able to live in the Tops by winning the Friendship Cup recently. That man inspired Yugo and Rin so much that they wanted to build their own D-Wheel and participate in the Friendship Cup as well.  
  
Nagi jumped to helping them straight away; she volunteered to go to the lake more often to get the money they need to buy parts for the D-Wheel, help them work on it once she gets home, and work on some finishing touches late at night. Sure, it was dangerous to make frequent visits to the lake since Security does this weekly checkup and she might be losing sleep from staying up late but it was so worth it to see that look of hope in Yugo's eyes.  
  
Deciding to call it a day, Nagi stands up while whipping the dirt off her knee-length, jean romper and a baggy, red t-shirt. She then grabs the string and pulls yen-covered magnet out of the water. Once she detached it from the string and put it in her waist bag, she picks up the stick and walks away from the lake.  
  
It was already late and probably close to Yugo and Rin's bedtime. She knew that she shouldn't be out here at this time of day, especially since she's a young girl in a world where there are bitter people waiting to lash out on something and unjust officers that abuse their power. Luckily, Nagi still has yet to encounter any of those people and found herself safely back at the orphanage.  
  
She opens the door and prepares for the welcoming she knows was coming.  
  
"ONEE-CHAN!"  
  
Two little arms immediately wrap themselves around her waist, knocking the breath out of her. Still, Nagi couldn't help but laugh and rub the spikey blue-blonde mess in front of her.  
  
"Nice to see you too, Yugo," she looks over to see a familiar mint green-haired girl standing a couple of feet away. "Hi, Rin!"  
  
The girl gives her a shy wave, which Nagi notices how hesitant it was. But she didn't have time to ponder on it for long when Yugo removes himself from her and looks up at his big sister with excitement shining in his light blue eyes.  
  
"How much yen did you get today, Onee-chan?!" Nagi laughs, she's pretty sure he could wake up the whole orphanage with that voice of his. She gently guides him over to a nearby table while opening up her waist bag.  
  
"Well, why don't you help me count them and we'll figure it out together?" Yugo nods his head very eagerly. Nagi chuckles a little as she scoops up the coins from her bag and hands a few to Yugo. The two began to count the coins in their hands and place the counted ones on the table; Nagi's silent counting was a contrast to Yugo's bouncing form.  
  
Then, a loud voice broke out.  
  
"Yugo, you hypocrite!"  
  
Startled, the siblings turn around to see a fuming Rin locking her heated orange eyes at Yugo.  
  
"What happened to all those tears?!" the girl continues, pointing a finger at the dumbfounded boy. "All that talk about how worried you were when Nagi stayed out later than usual?! How can you go from crying about Nagi-san being late to acting like you don't care about the fact that your own sister just traveled through a dangerous part of town to get mone?!"  
  
Nagi was speechless, to put it into words, at Rin's outburst. Sure, the younger girl has a tendency to lose her temper with Yugo but they were never as loud as this before. Nagi looks over to her brother to see his reaction and was surprised to see tears welling up in his blue eyes while his face wore an angry expression.  
  
What he said next surprised her.  
  
"Why do you have to do this in front of Nee-chan?!" he tosses the coins onto the table before running off into a different room, sobbing the whole way.  
  
Nagi almost went after him out of instinct before she remembers the steaming little girl out of the corner of her eyes. She looks over to see Rin huffing at Yugo's retreating form before crossing her arms and turning her head up with her nose up in the air.  
  
Gee, didn't that remind her of a certain group of people?  
  
Nagi couldn't help but sigh; this was really one of those times, huh?  
  
"OW!" Rin shrieks when Nagi grabs her ear and drags her into their and Yugo's shared room. "Nagi-san, that hurts!"  
  
"You'll live," the older girl simply replies before letting go and placing her hands on her hips. "Now, you want to tell me why you're so angry at Yugo?"  
  
"Why are you lecturing me?!" Rin asks with an annoyed look on her face. "I didn't do anything wrong!"  
  
"Rin, look at this from my point of view; I've stayed out a little later than usual and when I get back I see you yelling at Yugo for no apparent reason. So, either tell me what's going on or I will have to ground you from working on the D-Wheel."  
  
"What?! You can't do that!"  
  
"I can and I will, Rin, and you and Yugo both know what I'm like when I'm really mad."  
  
That actually shuts the little girl up; one could see the PTSD flashing through her eyes as she recalls the last time Nagi was mad.  
  
Seeing that she caught Rin's attention, Nagi allows herself to soften a bit. "So, do you want to tell what's going on with you and Yugo that you two are not telling me?"  
  
Rin looks down at her feet, kicking the dust on the ground before finally relenting. "It's just... Whenever you go out and you come home late, or when you lose sleep from working on the D-Wheel so late at night, I see Yugo look so sad to the point he would actually burst into tears. But, when he's around you, he acts like none of that ever happened. It's like he doesn't care that you're basically risking your health for us!"  
  
Nagi looks a little shock at Rin's explanation. She tries to think back to Yugo's earlier actions to see any connections to Rin's side of this story. She thinks about Yugo's words for a moment before her eyes widen in realization.  
  
Oh, boy...  
  
"Rin," she sighs. "The only reason why Yugo acts like he doesn't care is that he doesn't want me to worry."  
  
Rin looks up at her with genuine surprise on her face. "Huh?"  
  
"Look at it this way; Yugo knows that I'm basically neglecting myself in order to get you guys the D-Wheel parts that we need but he doesn't want me to worry because he also knows that I would feel bad about making him sad. He understands that I'm risking a lot for you guys, he's just trying to show me how much he appreciates it."  
  
Rin gazes down at her shoes, her eyes reflecting guilt behind them. "I never thought about it like that..." she murmurs softly.  
  
"Will you go say you're sorry to him now?" Nagi asks the girl softly. "He's still probably upset but I think he's cooled down enough for you to actually talk to him."  
  
Nagi had expected Rin to nod and leave the room after saying that but what the girl said next surprised her.  
  
"I will, but can you please go to sleep early tonight? It would make me and Yugo feel a lot better..."  
  
While the older girl didn't expect such a small, desperate request, Nagi still found herself smiling softly at Rin. "Sure, Rin," she pats the young girl on the head. "Now go find Yugo and tell him that you're sorry."  
  
Now Rin nods before running out of the room, leaving Nagi alone in the darkness.  
  
The older girl sighs before kicking off her oversized brown boots and flopping onto their old mattress. Now that she's laying down against the somewhat hard but comforting spring, Nagi could finally feel how heavy her eyelids feel and how her limbs were just content with just not moving at all.  
  
Maybe those two were right; she was probably pushing herself too much.  
  
With that thought in mind, Nagi lets her eyes shut and allow herself to float off into peaceful bliss.  
  
At one point, however, that peaceful bliss was temporarily ruined when she felt two small bodies flop onto the bed so she was right in-between them and two pairs of little arms wrap themselves around her waist.  
  
Nagi couldn't help but smile before allowing herself to fall right back to sleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, time to move onto the angsty ones... *laughs evilly*


	8. Mari: A Father's Abandonment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! I managed to finish this before I go away for two days! (If anyone is curious, I'm going to the White Mountains in New Hampshire)

Once upon a time, Mari Sakaki had once viewed Yusho Sakaki as her father.  
  
Now, at sixteen-years-old, Mari wished she had never let that man convinced her to not walk out the door with Yuya in her arms. Looking back on it, things would've been better for the two if they had just walked out that door and be done with the Sakaki family forever. That way, no one would ever connect them to the coward that ran away when he was set to duel Strong Ishijima and Yuya wouldn't have to torture himself by pretending to be happy.  
  
Still, having Yoko for a mother was nice. It, in a way, filled a hole in Mari's heart that she never realized she had. Sure, she was fine with taking care of Yuya by herself but she never knew that she also needed to be taken care of alongside him. Yoko provided that for her and... She honestly didn't know how she should feel about that but Mari does know she cares about Yoko because of that.  
  
So, Mari couldn't let herself get mad at Yoko for what Yusho had done to them all. Despite the woman's _infuriating_ habits of putting cute things over her own children - who she _adopted_ , by the way -, Mari did view her as a mother. She knows that Yuya definitely does.  
  
It still doesn't change the fact that Mari will never look at Yusho as her father again. She wonders if everything he ever did was a manipulation; from getting her and Yuya to stay only to now as he abandoned them and leaving the three to suffer. Mari gritted her teeth at the thought of that man.  
  
If she ever sees him again, she's going to do what she should've done when she tried to get away from him at the park.  
  
But, she can't do that now. All she could do for right now is be there for Yuya and go through the taunt and jeers from her own peers.  
  
In a way, it was almost funny; Mari was used to getting picked on for her dark skin and the blonde part of her hair - which were both natural, by the way - and now Yusho has given them new content to try to humiliate her with. Again, wonderful job on the parenting, Yusho...  
  
Funny enough, it was one of those days where her peers would try to mess with her. It was lunchtime at her school, the time where everyone was free from classes and have time to socialize in the cafeteria. Mari, however, wasn't the type of teenager that likes to socialize with the other students. She never got along with her peers even before Yusho's disappearance so it wasn't weird to see Mari Sakaki sitting down on one of the indoor benches near the bathroom, doodling away on her sketchbook.  
  
If the blonde part of her hair that contrasts with her dark skin didn't make her stand out from the crowd before then sitting here alone definitely did.  
  
In fact, it gave a certain group in school - who Mari _despises_ with all of her being - to come up to her and start their usual attempts of bothering her.  
  
"Well, well, well," Mari did her best to not cringe when her ears picked up on that familiar high, perky voice and just continue on with her drawing. "If it isn't one of the coward's children; Ganguro-chan!'  
  
Mari didn't even bother to correct her. It wasn't worth it to reply to the Nihon Hiza.  
  
The Nihon Hiza was a group of girls in her school that were deemed popular. Meaning that boys would fawn over them, girls would either be jealous or inspired by them, they would have tones of 'friends' following them around, and be allowed to talk about people behind their back. These girls reminded Mari of the Western cliche of girls in High School, especially the ones from a 1980s American movie she watched a while ago.  
  
Actually, that was how these girls got their group name from her. No one at her school called these girls anything other than their last names but Mari knew that these girls were so bland and alike that there was hardly anything independent about them. They were just these pretty dolls that stood around and flaunt society's idea of a perfect exterior world.  
  
"What's the matter, Ganguro-chan?" Satou, the leader AKA Mega Bitch, taunts while her two cronies stood up to the side giggling. "Too ashame that your coward of a father ran off when he was about to the duel the best Duelist in the city?"

 _Ignore her, Mari,_ she thinks to herself while keeping her eyes on the picture she's drawing. _Remember that you can't afford to get another suspension this month._

"I mean, it's not like I blame him for running away," Satou continues to bark her mouth off. "With that delinquent wife of his and that crybaby brother of yours I could hardly stand to be in the same house as them, much less be related to them!"  
  
Mari's pencil freezes from making any more adjustments to the drawing.

_You know what? Screw the suspension!_

Mari sets her pencil and sketchbook down on the bench right beside her, something confuses the Nihon Hiza since earlier experiences of Mari's outbursts usually involves a yelling match. They watch with wary eyes as Mari stood up and grabbed a water bottle from her bag, keeping her face blank the entire time while doing.  
  
They only understood what she was doing when she removed the lid from the water bottle. But by then it was already too late so the girls could only shriek like pigs when Mari splashes her water all over them.  
  
"You bitch, you ruined my hair!" one of the cronies cried, picking at her destroyed perm.  
  
"Then you better think twice before you talk shit like that about my family!" Mari roars, her emerald eyes shining with the fire of her fury.  
  
"We're going to tell the Principal and you're gonna get suspended!" Satou shrieks, point a finger at her before she and her cronies ran down the hall, sobbing like the crybabies they accused Yuya to be.  
  
"Go on ahead!" Mari yells at them without a care in her tone. "It's not like this will be the first time I get suspended, anyway!"  
  
She looks down at her water bottle and sighs disappointedly. "There goes another perfectly good water..." 

* * *

"I'm home!" Mari calls after she enters the door. Immediately, their dog, En, runs up to her as she removes her shoes. The blonde-pink-haired girl smiles at the sight of him and bends down to pet him. Upon closer inspection, Mari notices that the small dog they took in a while ago was now about the size of her hand. That could only mean one thing...  
  
"Mom, are you overfeeding En?"  
  
Laughter from the kitchen responded. "Now, Mari, you're not still upset about me feeding Yuya too much when he was baby, are you?"  
  
"Can you blame me? You made him into a chubby baby!" Mari retorts as she walks into the living room, where she can get a full view of her mother getting dinner ready in the kitchen. She looks around the house, surprised that the person who's usually there to greet her hasn't shown their face yet.  
  
"Hey, Mom, where's Yuya?" Yoko looks up at her in surprise before she stares off at the front entrance.  
  
"Well, he said he was going to hang out with Yuzu and Gongenzaka right after school but he told me he'd be back right before you get home. I wonder what could be taking him so long..."  
  
"Do you want me to go find him?" Yoko turns around to answer but Mari is already putting her shoes back on.  
  
"But you just got back!"  
  
Mari shrugs. "Not like that's going to stop me," before Yoko knew it, Mari was already closing the door behind her.  
  
This makes the older woman sighed. "You think after eleven years she would be used to people taking care of her..."

* * *

Mari likes to think she knows her brother well. She's been with him since the second he was born and remembers all the little quirks he had as an infant. She still remembers Yuya as the type of baby who would always take a nap daily and how fussy he would be when she woke him up to eat or drink.  
  
Yeah, she should definitely know her own brother by now.  
  
One of the places where she expected Yuya to be was at the railing overlooking the lake. She sometimes finds him there, where he would go when he can't handle what the world is currently throwing at him. It's only been a few weeks since Yusho left them so she can imagine the stake that was driven into his heart from that is still there and stuck deep.  
  
When she got there it turned out she was right; Yuya was sitting on the railing with his body facing the lake, his goggles over his eyes.  
  
But he wasn't alone.  
  
"Look at you," three boys surrounded Yuya, the one with the large body size was the one who spoke. "Think you're great enough to go up against the Champion just because your father was the founder of that boring Duel School?"  
  
Yuya didn't reply, but Mari could see how tensed his shoulders became when the boy mentioned Yusho.  
  
"You're just a crybaby who would probably run when Strong Ishijima actually considers taking your challenge, just like your coward of a father."  
  
Yuya still doesn't reply.  
  
"Maybe you need to take a bath to wash away that stupid thought in your brain that you can go up against someone like Strong Ishijima!" the big bully has his arms out, ready to push Yuya off the railing and into the cold water below.  
  
But the boy didn't get a chance too when Mari grabs one of his arms out of nowhere and _twists_ it.  
  
For someone who looks up to someone like Strong Ishijima, words could not describe the girly scream that came out of this kid's mouth.  
  
"It's his delinquent sister!" one of the other two kids cries, both of them looking up at Mari with looks of terror in their eyes. Already, the color was leaving their faces.  
  
"And if you don't want to end up your friend here then I better not find any of you near my brother or threaten to push him off somewhere high again!" Mari warns them before letting the boy whose arm she was nearly killing go. The boys instantly ran away, crying and screaming about the Delinquent Sakaki threatening to kill them - over exaggeration much?  
  
"Nee-san...?" the assertive look she had pulled on her face to scare the bullies instantly melts when she turns to look at her brother, who's staring at her with a look of concern despite the goggles on his face. "You know you're going to get into big trouble if you keep doing that."  
  
Mari shrugs nonchalantly as she joins Yuya on the railings. "Well, they need to get the message across sooner rather than later."  
  
This makes Yuya sigh. "Of course, that's your answer to every violent outburst you have."  
  
Mari actually laughs at that and slightly bump her fist into his shoulder lightly. Eventually, Yuya found himself laughing along with his sister, their laughter echoing through the air with the sun setting in front of them.  
  
The oldest Sakaki girl found herself happy that she could make Yuya forget about the pain he's going through for a moment.  
  
"Hey, Yuya," Mari speaks up after a moment of silence where Yuya removes his goggles from his eyes. "You doing anything with Yuzu and Gongenzaka tomorrow?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"I was thinking about going to hair salon tomorrow to get my hair dyed, do you wanna come with me to get your hair trimmed?"  
  
Yuya raises an eyebrow at her. "You're getting your hair dyed?"  
  
"Yep," she tugs at one of her pink strands that framed the sides of her face. "Kinda feel bad that these two are the only part of my hair that's pink while the majority of it is blonde. So I'm just going to dye the tips so they don't feel left out."  
  
"Don't your classmates already call you Ganguro because of your hair?"  
  
"Hey, it's my hair. I get to decide what I want to do with it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm? Oh, were you all expecting Hanako? Yeah, sorry, she's next. I just decided to be cruel to you guys.


	9. Hanako: The Monster of Academia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like I should've finished this chapter sooner... Oh, well, enjoy it guys, despite the heartbreak...

He carded another student today... What was this? The tenth person he carded this year? She really didn't know anymore... Ever since she first saw him card a student her mind just instantly shut off. Everything became a daze after the flash of light died down; she couldn't hear anything, everything was blurry, she couldn't even feel the tablet underneath her fingertips. She was pretty sure she had dropped it a few times in her shock.  
  
But the damn thing never broke.  
  
She knew that she should've let the tablet go the moment Yuri was molded into something that she didn't recognize but she didn't. Even when she did drop the tablet she would always pick it back up and continue to watch him become so sinister. Maybe some part of her wants to believe that the boy was still her baby brother, the same one whose eyes would shine brightly whenever she tells him a story, braid flowers into her long black hair, and play a small game of Duel Monsters. The one who would always look up to her even though she didn't know what she was doing most of the time and was forced to look for ways to find her answers.  
  
How fitting that her fatal flaw that is her curiosity would lead to both her brother's and her own downfall.  
  
She should've kept walking to the boat she and Yuri were planning to escape in, should've ignored the conversation she was hearing from the Juvenile Officers. That way, they wouldn't have noticed the two and they would've had plenty of more time to get to the boat before the Juvenile Officers caught up to them.  
  
They would've been somewhere far away by now. A place where no one could ever find them. Not in a place where she's locked up in a tower while she watches her brother slowly slip away from her as these past two years go by.  
  
She wonders if he even remembers her at this point.  
  
The door to her prison opens and she could hear the sound of boots walking up behind her.  
  
She knew instantly who they belong to.  
  
"Is watching me miserable satisfies you?" she couldn't stop that comment from coming out of her mouth, she was just so tired.  
  
"I only wanted to show you the truth," just listening to his voice say that sentence to her was enough to make her shoulders shake. What truth? The truth that he's torturing her by separating her from Yuri and turning him into this monster right before her very eyes?  
  
"And what truth would that be?" she demands, leaving the tablet on the floor and standing up so she can face the Professor. "You take a fourteen-year-old girl and her nine-year-old brother out of the City, bring them to Academia against their wills, and then separate them so you could transform that brother into a monster. Whatever this truth is, it better be something worth all of this."  
  
She watches him sigh tiredly like he's the one who has the right to be exhausted about all of this. "Of course, you don't remember what happened..."  
  
Hanako quirks an eyebrow at that; what was he talking about?  
  
"Although it would make sense," the Professor continues like she knows exactly what he's saying as he took another tablet out. "Serena has no memories of her former life in the United Dimension, it should be possible that the same thing happened to you and your brother."  
  
Serena... That named sounded familiar. Hanako could vaguely remember an indigo-haired student walk by her door but she didn't remember too much about her at the time; that Serena was probably one of those students who would go up to the door and berate her for refusing to cooperate Academia's goals.  
  
Wait, the United Dimension?  
  
"I'ver heard some people in Academia mentioned this United Dimension," Hanako speaks up, trying to keep her usually timid voice strong. "They say you wanted to reunite four worlds into this one United Dimension."  
  
She tried not to think about that conversation she heard was the very reason she and Yuri are here in the first place.  
  
"You are correct,"  the Professor turns the tablet over to her, showing her static footage of a duel taking place. "You might not remember what happened, but the United Dimension, or the Original Dimension, was where everything began; our lives, Duel Monsters, the technology we have today, they all existed thanks to the Original Dimension. However, it was thanks to a disaster that the Original Dimension was destroyed, split into Four Dimensions where no one had any memory of what happened."  
  
Hanko squints her dark brown eyes at the screen. Why was he showing her a duel? Duel Monsters were a pretty common thing in Academia and showing her some random duel wasn't going to convince her that the world they're living in was once part of a-  
  
Wait... What was that?  
  
The static on the footage started to clear up a bit, allowing her to see the face of one of the duelists.  
  
But... That was her face... At least, her face when she was around fourteen. She looks closer and realizes that was genuinely her face but on the wrong person.  
  
When Hanako looked at the person wearing her face the first thing she noticed was how dead their eyes looked. There was no life in those blank fern green eyes of hers, not even the light could be reflected in those eyes. During the whole duel, it disturbed Hanako how this girl kept this aloof expression on her face; she didn't shout out her cards' names or say anything to her opponent, she didn't even flinch when an attack would hit her directly.  
  
And what disturbed Hanako the most was how standoffish she acted in the aftermath of a direct attack. She just brushes her shoulder like she's trying to get rid of dust.  
  
This was not Hanako. Even though the two share the same face and have the same dual-colored hair, there was no way she and that person were the same. Even their hair colors were different; most of Hanako's hair is an ebony color and goes up to her waist while her purple side tails go a little past her shoulders. This girl's hair consists of short, white, choppy hair that appears to be self-cut while her fern green side tails go a little past her waist.  
  
"What in the..." Hanako trails off, unable to get any more words out due to her shock.  
  
"Recognize yourself?" the Professor questions, knowing that he caught her attention. "This was you in the Original Dimension. You were the Duelist known as the Void Queen; for both your deck and your lack of emotions. No one ever did found out your name back then since you were so secretive about your private life. For some reason, you were caught in the crossfire and ended up getting split apart along with the Original Dimension. You, your brother, and Serena were once people in the Original Dimension but now you're all but four separate pieces of who you once were."  
  
This was all too much for Hanako to handle. So, she and Yuri were once people who already existed but now they just suddenly show up out of nowhere when these people died from some sudden disaster. But then again, it does make a few things more understandable; like why she didn't have any memories beyond her year as a five-year-old or how the first time she saw Yuri in her arms she knew in an instant that he was just a newborn. It also explained these strange flashes of colors and that horrible chilling laugh in her head.  
  
Her curiosity got the better of her once again and she couldn't help but ask, "What exactly happened to the Original Dimension that caused it to be split apart."  
  
For the rest of her life, Hanako knew at that moment she would regret ever asking that question with the way the Professor's face instantly darkens at it.  
  
"Your brother," he snarls while his grip on the tablet tightens. "He was formally known as the Demon Duelist, Zarc, in my Dimension. He wreaked havoc everywhere he went, he destroyed the Original Dimension and forced my daughter to sacrifice her life to stop him!"  
  
He threw the tablet to the wall, the device breaking upon contact. Hanako flinches at the noise but her mind was still reeling at what he just said.  
  
Her brother was the evil voice she kept hearing in her head?  
  
"You're lying..." she couldn't help but blurt out, making the Professor look up after he took deep breaths to calm himself down. "I may believe that the Original Dimension was destroyed by someone so malevolent, but I refuse to believe that Yuri was that monster."  
  
The Professor straightens himself, pulling back that blank mask he always wears. "Yet you watch him card so many students."  
  
"Because I know you did something to him! I get that you must be traumatized by what happened to your dimension but blaming him for something just because he looks like somebody you once knew isn't right! You're shaping him into somebody he's not and I want answers for it!"  
  
The Professor shakes his head as he begins to mumble underneath his breath. "I just don't understand," she manages to hear. "I give you a nice and comfortable room that was better than the tent you live in, I allow you to make your own clothes, I even allow you a full meal that you didn't have to steal from someone. Yet, you still refuse to listen to me..."  
  
Hanako tenses when his voice got louder. Finally, he looks up at her with a reserved.  
  
"We put a chip in his brain," Hanako did not expect to hear that come out of his mouth, but she could feel her heart stopping the moment she processes those words. "You were right about him not enjoying carding people when we allowed him too, he only did it because he thought we would let you go if he did what was asked. However, I could not let a piece of the monster that killed my daughter roam free. So, we inserted a chip into his brain, erasing all of his memories of you. It took a while for the chip to fully work but once the chip had fully rewritten his memories, he became the monster he always was..."  
  
She could feel herself going numb again. T-They erased her... From Yuri's memories. He probably didn't know what was going at the time, he probably thought he was going to see her again soon. All that time where she watched him laugh maniacally at the other students, that really wasn't the boy who loved her. That was just the shell of was left behind when they stuffed her brother out and put their puppet in.  
  
And it was all because the Professor saw him as someone else.  
  
"W-What do you plan to do to him once you reunited the Four Dimensions?" She didn't notice how her voice trembled from the onslaught of her emotions, nor the tightening of fists afterward.  
  
"Once my home is restored and my daughter is brought back, I will do what I should've done years ago; rid our worlds of this monster once and for all!"  
  
Hanako lost it at that.  
  
She didn't know how she managed to grab a sharp piece of glass from the broken tablet the Professor had thrown earlier in a matter of seconds but that didn't matter to her. Right now, all she cared about was slicing the Professor's face with the glass.  
  
"You're the monster!" she shrieks, trying to get past the arms he had raised to defend himself when she came at him. "A heartless, child-stealing, sadist! You're the monster!"  
  
He suddenly lashed out at her, slapping her hard enough to force her to the ground. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the Professor running to the door to make an escape. With a snarl, Hanako ran after him, brandishing the glass in her hand.  
  
The door closed and she ended up running into it. That didn't stop her from pounding her fists at the door.  
  
"You're the monster! Give my brother back, you monster! You're the monster!"  
  
She kept pounding her fists at the door, the glass slipping from her grip and shattering at her blue slippers. Slowly, the intensity of her pounding begins to lose their momentum and her screams died down to the point she's sobbing her words now. Her legs could no longer hold her up and she found herself sobbing against the door on her knees, her fists still pounding fruitlessly against it.  
  
She didn't care about the glass that was bitting her through her dress or how her fists became raw from hitting the wooden door repeatedly. No, all she cares about is how she just lost her baby brother to a terrible, disillusion man who saw the world the way he wanted to see it.  
  
And it was all her fault; if she was never so curious, she wouldn't have lost him.  
  
She would have given anything to hug Yuri with her arms once again.  
  
"Monster... Monster..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is coming back for me on the 29th, help...


	10. Intrelude: The Void

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! I managed to upload this before school starts!

When Ray opened her eyes she was met with total darkness.  
  
She scrunches her face in confusion. Where exactly is she? She looks down and was grateful that she could see herself. So she wasn't in some creep's dark basement or anything like that, just in some weird void where she can't see anything but herself.  
  
It still doesn't explain how she ended up here. Maybe she can find her father and-  
  
The answer came to her the moment the question entered her mind.  
  
A crowd screaming hateful things.  
  
A woman's body falling to the ground, blood spilling from her head.  
  
A boy's cries turning into sadistic laughter.  
  
Fire consuming everything.  
  
Dull, emotionless green eyes staring into hers.  
  
Flashes of multicolored lights blinding her vision.  
  
A monster's horrifying scream.  
  
Ray shudders as the memories flood her mind. Right, that...  
  
When Ray took the four cards from her father, she thought she was prepared to face the Demon Duelist - he was no longer the human she knew, after all. But what she did not expect was meeting the Demon Duelist's older sister; the Void Queen.  
  
Honestly, of all the time she's known Zarc, she never thought he would be related to someone like the Void Queen. She remembers watching her as a child and couldn't help but wrap her arms around her father whenever the Void Queen would step onto the field. There was just something so...unnerving about the dark-skinned female. Her eyes look so dull and she's apathetic to everything around her yet she dresses so beautifully.  
  
Like a doll; pretty on the outside but empty on the inside.  
  
Comparing the excitable and naive Zarc to the terrifying and emotionless Void Queen, Ray never thought those two could be related.  
  
But then they both proved her wrong when they both appeared on stage together, where Zarc announced that he was giving up his violent dueling style since they failed to make his sister - the freaking Void Queen of all people - genuinely smile since she had problems expressing and even feeling emotions.  
  
... That actually explained a lot. Ray remember at the time of their breakup, Zarc was so determined to continue with these violent duels because that's what the crowd wanted. She may have been overly mean and told him to grow up before leaving him heartbroken. But at the time, she thought he was just following some self-serving mindset and needed to get a wake-up call. She had no idea he was looking for a way to get the infamous Void Queen to smile.  
  
With someone like her as a sister, Ray could see why he was so determined.  
  
She felt awful when she found out the truth and planned on meeting Zarc after his announcement to find some way to make it up to him. But then the crowd lost it. They started screaming and cursing at the poor boy who was just too kind for this world. It got bad to the point his sister had to lead him away.  
  
The siblings were barely a couple of steps away from the exit before someone in the crowd threw a rock at the Void Queen's head.  
  
She fell down in an instant, blood spilling from her ghostly silver hair.  
  
Zarc stood there in a shocked daze, his mind unable to process what was happening. It drove Ray over the edge and she began to curse at the people in crowd herself, despite the protest from her father.  
  
That's when she heard it; Zarc crying. It was the most awful sound she ever heard. It was like a child crying for their mother. She turned to find him on the ground, cradling his sister's motionless body while he sobs onto her.  
  
After that, nothing could describe the chaos that transpired.  
  
Ray knew that her father created four cards to put a stop to all of this. Put a stop to the demon that had killed the sweet boy she fell in love with and end the destruction it was causing. But in order to do that, someone must be sacrificed. Unable to handle life without her father and knowing that the city will need him more, Ray took the cards and managed to evade her father.  
  
All she had to do at that point was confronting Zarc.  
  
She didn't expect on the way there she would run into his sister.  
  
When she first saw the Void Queen, she had thought she was just another civilian that got caught up in the chaos and told her to leave. But when her eyes meet those dull green ones, she immediately backtracks her previously harsh tone. The only reason why she didn't think it was her at first because she, like many others, believed that the Void Queen had died when the rock hit her.  
  
Dear Lord, talking to the Void Queen herself was just as unnerving as she imagined it to be. The Void Queen spoke in this monotone voice and she's always using these prescribed words as she talks. It was like she didn't care that her own brother lost his mind and is currently destroying the world around them.  
  
But somehow, Ray knew that wasn't true. She did care about what was happening around them, what was happening to Zarc. She just... Couldn't express it the way Ray would imagine most people would in this type of situation have.  
  
Maybe that's how the two women were able to come up with a plan to not only stop Zarc but have him and his sister be together.  
  
It still doesn't change the fact of how Ray feels around the older woman.  
  
She wonders if the Void Queen knew if she played a hand in Zarc's destruction as well.  
  
"Nee-sama!"  
  
Ray's eyes widen and she could feel her heart stopping when she hears that familiar voice behind her.  
  
No... It couldn't be...  
  
Slowly, Ray turns her head to look over her shoulder, dreading what she might see once she does.  
  
Her eyes land on the thing she was dreading to see and she finds herself freezing on the spot.  
  
There was Zarc, lying a few feet away from her. Even after being separated from his four dragons, Zarc still had the body of a monster; his skin was the color of a sickening gray with spikes poking out from the scales that replaced his beautiful smooth skin. Two black wings sprouted from his back, his jacket and shirt were still nowhere to be found but his pants still remain, even if they are shredded in a few places.  
  
Ray was worried that he might notice her and attack her - because she had no doubt that his mutated body gave him inhuman strength. But then she realized that he wasn't facing her and was reaching a clawed hand out to something that she couldn't see.  
  
She squints her eyes in the direction he was reaching out, trying to see what he's looking at. At first, all she saw was nothing but darkness, making her think that Zarc was losing it more than he already has before she remembers the first word he's said since they've been in here.  
  
"Nee-sama!"  
  
Finally, Ray saw the Void Queen standing a few feet away from her brother.  
  
Or what was left of the Void Queen.  
  
Instead of the dull female with well-designed clothes and blank green eyes there stood a gray silhouette in her place. No longer did her brightly colored clothes and her dull expression could be seen, replaced by the gray that has covered her whole body. Ray tries to squinting her eyes to see the woman's face only to find nothing.  
  
She's as dull as she was on the inside.  
  
"Nee-sama," Zarc continues to cry out in relief, slowly crawling towards the figure. "You're alive! Y-You came back to me!"  
  
Suddenly, the figure turns with her back facing him before walking away.  
  
"W-Wait, Nee-sama!"  
  
She still kept walking.  
  
"Nee-sama, wait! Please!" now Zarc was on his shoeless feet and running towards the figure, his hand still stretched out. "I never meant for this to happen!"  
  
Nothing from the Void Queen.  
  
"I just wanted you to be happy, Nee-sama!"  
  
She explodes into these balls of light before he could reach her. One was orange, one was blue, one was white, and the last one was green. It was only a few seconds later they disappeared, leaving the two of them alone in the darkness.  
  
"No..." Zarc falls to his knees, using his hands to keep himself up while his body shakes from the sobs escaping his mouth. "Please... Don't leave me alone... I can't live in a world without you..."  
  
Ray finds her heart breaking again, watching him sobbing for his sister like how a child would when they just lost their mother. The first time was hard enough but watching this now after everything that happened, it just makes it worse.  
  
As bad as his actions were, he was only trying to avenge his sister against the people who wrongly hurt her - or murder her at the time. He probably did what he thought was best but those actions lead to a point where his lashing out wasn't acceptable anymore. He didn't end up hurting the people who hurt his sister. No, he ended up hurting everyone. Those who weren't even involved with what happened.  
  
No matter what happened with his sister, nothing can justify destroying the world.  
  
That's probably why the Void Queen allowed herself to vanish from existence; to allow the two to get a chance to start over. Ray would have followed her example if it weren't for the fact she knew that Zarc's bloodlust hasn't gone away.  
  
"Zarc," she begins once she's right behind the demonic duelist. "I know you're probably confused to what's going on but your sister didn't die when that person threw a rock at her. She was alive and she saw what you have become. She didn't want this, so she helped me put a stop to you."  
  
Zarc didn't appear to hear her nor even acknowledge her presence behind him as he continues to sob away. Ray just sighs, knowing this is going to be difficult.  
  
"Look, I know you think you've lost her again but there's a way for the two of you to be together again. You can stop trying to come back, live your life as your fragments. It might not be the same, but at least the two of you will be together."  
  
When Zarc continues to ignore her, Ray could feel her temper rising. Her father always did say that she was a willful individual; always proving herself and trying to get people to see her reasons. This, however, leads her to have an impulsive personality, giving her a short temper when things don't go here way.  
  
If she had time to stop and calm herself down she would have noticed the whispers echoing around her and Zarc.  
  
"Are you serious right now?!" she rages, clenching her fists tightly at her sides. "You still want to destroy everything even after you find out your sister is alive and doesn't want you to kill anybody?! If your sister was here right now, how do you think she would feel if she knew what you were doing?"  
  
That caught his attention. Almost immediately after Ray finished her sentence, Zarc's sobs had ceased and they were left in this awkward silence.  
  
Until he spoke up.  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
Ray blinks, her fear starting to rise up once again at the tone of his voice. No longer did he sound like the scared child crying for his older sister. His voice had gained a deeper and sinister tone. This was the voice of the Supreme King that destroyed her home.  
  
"Aren't you going to repeat yourself?" Zarc continues in a threatening tone, slowly turning to face her so she could see his menacing glowing yellow eyes. "You always have a knack to make yourself heard no matter what. I didn't hear you the first time. Can you repeat yourself, bitch?"  
  
Ray found herself backing up in terror - while she knows he can't harm in this realm, it's still terrifying to see him like this - her hands shaking at her sides. "I-I said how do you think your sister would feel-"  
  
"Feel?!" Zarc cuts off with a loud laugh. "Feel?! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!" He threw his head back and lets out a throaty laugh.  
  
"You humans are all the same," he begins once he calms down, his voice regaining that menacing tone. "Even when the world gives you an answer, you still refuse to see it and then you get angry when it's not the answer you want. Do you remember how I said that I started these violent duels so I could make my sister smile?"  
  
Despite herself, Ray nods.  
  
"That's because she can't smile. She can't smile, laugh, or even cry. She can't feel _anything_."


	11. Mari: Ishijima's Challenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm disappointed in myself... How could I have spent almost two months working on a single chapter for "A Demon's Smile" when it only took me two days to finish a chapter for this story? That just doesn't make any sense?! How... You know what? Fine, I'll deal with my wacky brain. Go on with your day guys (I'm kidding, please read the new chapter).
> 
> We're finally getting into the first episode of ARC V! Which means more sibling stuff with Yuya and Mari! I hope you guys enjoy it!

"It's showtime!"  
  
...

 _Note to self, Mari, keep an eye on the cards that your brother wants to buy for his Deck,_ Sakaki Mari thinks to herself from her place in front of the computer screen, watching her brother dance with the skimpy-outfit Hippos that apparently belong in his Deck.  
  
She's just glad that none of her own Monsters wear that type of clothing. While female stage performance outfits might be Yuya's thing, it wasn't for her. She mentally shudders at the thought of her Firebird - Chicks wearing those types of outfits.  
  
"For cripes' sake!" the nineteen-year-old shifts her green eyes over to Hiiragi Yuzu, who is currently steaming as she clenches her fists. "Can't Yuya just learn to take things more seriously?!"  
  
"I thought to be an entertainer you have to learn to let loose once in a while?" Mari questions in a deadpan tone before returning her gaze back to the screen. "Besides, I think it's interesting."  
  
"You're only saying that out of sisterly obligations!" Yuzu shrieks, pointing a finger at her.  
  
Mari just shoots her a bored look. "Remember how you complimented on my video about how I got into art for all the jokes and visual performance it had? Guess who helped in that department."  
  
If possible, Yuzu's face has gotten redder. "Don't use my own words against me, Mari-san!" Yuzu slams her fist down on the keyboard in front of them. Mari was about to retort when sparks began to fly from the machine in front of them.  
  
"What the-?!" Mari cuts herself off to throw herself in front of Yuzu when the machine explodes.  
  
"What's going on in here, girls?!" Shuzo, Yuzu's father, demands as he opens the door to see Mari holding a startled Yuzu behind her while the machine in front continues to spark.  
  
"AH! Gomenasai, Tou-san!" Yuzu cries.  
  
"No, no, no!" Shuzo runs forward with his hands in his hair. "If the Solid Vision System breaks, then my hot-blooded training is-!"  
  
Another explosion occurs and Mari could faintly hear her brother screaming from the other room.  
  
On the bright side, she doesn't have to look at those Hippos anymore. 

* * *

"Please, Mari-san!" Shuzo had screamed, literally begging at her feet when all five of them had moved into the lounge room of the School. "I know you've been working hard on your hot-blooded animations for months but can you please do your Uncle a favor and pay for the Solid Vision's repairs?"  
  
"You do know that you're practically asking someone - who is not a legal adult, by the way - to buy something that you should buy yourself as a legal adult, right?" Mari had pointed out bluntly, keeping her face blank the entire time.  
  
The reaction on Shuzo's face was worth it right before she laughed, telling them all that she was joking. "Alright, fine, I'll see what I can do."  
  
That was how Mari found herself walking over to the Repair Shop. Honestly, she would've done it anyway but she thought it would be funny to see Shuzo's face like that before she left. Although it was a tough time when she decided to leave her Dueling career behind to pursue her Storytime Animations, Mari still couldn't get that look on his face out of her head when she told him.  
  
Yuya had often called her out for doing that, saying that she was being mean to Shuzo. But still, it was funny to her and she had a weird sense of humor, anyway.  
  
Mari walk through the doors of the Repair Shop when they slid open for her, taking a quick glance at the counter. There sat a middle-aged woman with her hair held tightly in a bun behind a computer screen, looking like she would rather be somewhere else than here.  
  
Well, sucks to be her.  
  
"Hello," she greets the old lady - because Yuya would whine at her again for not having any manners if he found out - once she reaches the counter. "I'm here to get a repairman that can fix the Solid Vision System at the You Show Duel School. Preferably one that can come very quickly?"  
  
"You have any form of payment?" the lady asks her in a monotone voice. Mari told herself to not make a comment on that and just handed the lady her credit card.  
  
"Sakaki Mari, huh?" the lady comments once her name pulls up on the computer before shooting the nineteen-year-old a look that Mari didn't like. "Aren't you the daughter of that coward who skipped on his duel with Strong Ishijima three years ago?"  
  
"I'm his adopted daughter, actually," Mari quickly corrects. "He's not my real dad." _And I wished I had just walked out that door fourteen years ago..._    
  
"Ah," the lady mumbles, looking like she didn't actually hear her. "So, is it true that your brother happens to be a pathetic clown because of that? I have two kids who go to the same school as him and they won't ever stop talking about how he enjoys embarrassing himself in front of everybody."  
  
Mari's eye twitched.  
  
She had done it now.  
  
"I thought a low-paid clerk like you were supposed to do their job and stay quiet so more people can come in here and you can actually get paid instead of waiting around in this dump," Mari tells the woman before she could stop herself.  
  
She ended up not getting the repairman that You Show needed. But she was fine with that, especially since she didn't lose any money from that store.  
  
Still, it was going to be a hassle explaining to the Hiiragi family why there wasn't a repairman coming over.  
  
Her phone rings when she was only three blocks away from the Duel School. Taking her phone out of her bag, Mari looks at the caller ID and saw Yuzu's name on the screen.  
  
Oh boy, here she goes.  
  
"Hey, Yuzu-" Mari begins but was cut off by Yuzu's loud cry.  
  
"Mari-san! Do you know where Yuya is?!"  
  
Mari blinks. "Isn't he at the school with you?"  
  
"He was! Then this creepy manager of Strong Ishijima's came, requesting that Yuya should duel Ishijima because of a promise he made three years ago or something and then he's just-!" The blonde-pink-haired girl shook her head when Yuzu began rambling, unable to comprehend anything that the younger girl was saying.  
  
"Yuzu, slow down!" Mari demands, effectively shutting Yuzu up. "Okay, can you run that by me again? I couldn't make out anything you were saying."  
  
She hears Yuzu take deep breaths on the other side before she starts talking again. "Strong Ishijima's manager showed up at the school when you left and requested that Yuya should duel Strong Ishijima on his Fan Appreciation Day because of some promise he made three years ago and now Yuya's just disappeared-!"  
  
Mari found herself freezing the moment the words "Strong Ishijima" entered her head.  
  
That son of a bitch...  
  
"I know where he is," Mari cuts her off but she could continue. "I'll call you back!"  
  
She shuts the phone off before Yuzu could say anything and quickly runs off to the one place where she knew she would always find Yuya. 

* * *

Sure enough, she did find him sitting on the railing overlooking the lake in front of him. He had his goggles on and his pendulum swinging in front of his face by one hand. He's probably deep in thought.  
  
She decided to make her presence known by lifting the goggles away from his eyes, startling him.  
  
"You know, if you wanted to get away from everyone to think, then you should go to a place where even I don't know about," Mari comments to her brother, her voice monotone but her eyes carried a different story.  
  
"Nee-san..." Yuya murmurs as she swung herself up on the railing, sitting right next to him.  
  
"So, Strong Ishijima finally took your challenge, huh?" Mari asks, starting the important conversation before Yuya could divert it with a question.  
  
Yuya flinches slightly and quickly turns his gaze back to the body of water. "Yeah..."  
  
"Are you going to take it?"  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
"... Do you _want_ to duel him?"  
  
Yuya didn't answer that. Mari sighs, this wasn't getting them anywhere. "Look, Yuya, if you don't want to duel him, that's fine. You don't have to duel him because of some guy says you have to."  
  
"That's the thing, Nee-san," Yuya begins, his voice soft. "I do want to duel Strong Ishijima..."  
  
Mari blinks. "Well, if you want to duel him, then what's stopping you?"  
  
"...It's because I know you're going to have a problem with the reason why I want to duel him."  
  
Reason? What the heck was he talking about?  
  
"Yuya, you're not making any sense. Why would I have a problem with-?"  
  
"I want to duel him so I can prove to everyone that Dad wasn't a coward!"  
  
Oh... Now that makes sense.  
  
Yusho was a touchy subject for the blood siblings to talk about. While Mari clearly resented the man who left them behind, Yuya still admired him and wanted to prove all the rumors about him wrong. Their ideas had clashed against the other often during the first few months but the two had never gotten into real fights because of it.  
  
Eventually, they decided to have an agreement; they won't talk about Yusho when the other was near. They were allowed to have their own opinions about him but they never discussed it when the other sibling was nearby. Their mother had known about their agreement and while it did break her heart at how tense the siblings would get when the subject of their father gets mentioned but she never stopped their agreement from happening; those two were each others' only blood family left.  
  
Their friends and Shuzo didn't quite get the memo and when they tried talking about Yusho when the siblings were in the same room together, they would leave the room and not talk to them for a while.  
  
It was that or Mari giving them a glare that Death could only be proud of that they finally got the message.  
  
So, things were normal between the siblings. Until one of them decided to bring the Yusho Topic up.  
  
Mari sighs to herself. While it's true that she would rather have nothing to do with the man, she can't say the same for Yuya. For Mari, she grew up in a world where a couple took her and her brother into their home, luring her to believe that they were going to take of the siblings before one of them decides to just leave years later. Even after he tried so hard to convince her to stay. But for Yuya, he grew up with a mother, a father, and a sister that he loves with all of his heart. And now he wants to defend one of them through a duel.  
  
And honestly, who was she to stop him from doing that?  
  
"If you want to duel Strong Ishijima for Yusho, then go ahead. Don't let me stop you," she tells him.  
  
Yuya looks over at her, his mouth opened in shock."You're really okay with it?"  
  
"Yuya, look," she sighs, adjusting her position so she could meet her brother's red eyes. "My feelings for Yusho have nothing to do with how you feel about him, alright? If you still view him as your father, then I'm not gonna stop you from defending him. Go on and duel Strong Ishijima if that's what you want."  
  
Just hearing that brought a smile to Yuya's face as the tension drops from his shoulders. "Arigato, Nee-san."  
  
Mari laughs and bumps his shoulder with her elbow. "No problem, bro."  
  
The two lapsed in silence for a bit.  
  
"Hey, I finished the draft for the script of my new video earlier this morning? Wanna help me proof-read it before I begin recording?"  
  
"Is that the one where you talked about our first time walking En and you eventually found out that Kaa-san sold an artwork of yours that you really proud of without your permission?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Oh boy..." 

* * *

The two spent the whole afternoon going over the script before Mari began to record her lines - with Yuya adding his own bits and pieces here and there. The two had gone to bed at 10:00 PM, right where Mari was able to finish the editing. Mari had woken up at 6:00 AM the next morning where she can begin drawing her animations.  
  
Eventually, Yuya found her sitting on the couch in the living room with the TV on with her tablet and pen in hand.  
  
"Did you wake up early again so you can start working on your animations again?" he asks her as he goes over to the kitchen.  
  
"You've seen me doing this plenty of times since I'd graduated from high school and you're still questioning me about it?"  
  
"Nee-san, you're your own boss. You can decide when you can take your on vacation days."  
  
"Unless I eventually get burnout from all of this, I don't think you have the right to scold your Nee-san just yet."  
  
Yuya rolls his eyes at that before picking up a banana. "I'm going to the duel early, are you going to watch it?"  
  
"Have the TV on the channel it's going to be live-streamed on, don't you worry," Mari tells him in assurance, her eyes never leaving the screen of her tablet.  
  
Her brother walks over until he's leaning over the couch to stare at her with a frown on his face. "Don't tell me that my duel with Strong Ishijima is going to be one of your background noises while you work on your animation, Nee-san!"  
  
"Don't worry, Yuya, I'm going to watch your duel," Mari says with a slight hint of mirth in her voice. "I'm just going to multi-task like I always do."  
  
"Nee-san, there's a difference between eating food and drawing than watching a duel and drawing!"  
  
Mari rolls her eyes. "Alright, fine; I'll take a few breaks. Happy now?"  
  
Yuya nods, smiling happily as he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before he hurries over to the door. "Love ya, you firecracker!"  
  
"Love ya too, you clown!" she calls back with a laugh right before Yuya closes the door behind.  
  
Eventually, the time for Yuya's duel against Ishijima came on the TV, prompting Mari to save her work before turning off her tablet so she can watch it. She shook her head when she saw her brother appear as a clown right behind the Champion, unable to believe that he actually had the guts to do that.  
  
She watched Yuya through, actually a little impressed at how well her brother was lasting through this duel. He must've been very determined to win this match.  
  
It... It almost made her want to go back into Action Dueling...  
  
She quickly shook her head out of those thoughts when Ishijima destroys Yuya's ace monster; Odd-Eyes Dragon. She sits up a bit straighter at this, knowing how her brother gets when that monster is destroyed - although some sick part of her is actually relieved to see it gone, she always gets this funny feeling whenever she sees Odd-Eyes - and wonders how he's going to get out of this.  
  
Suddenly, he does this new Summoning method that actually makes her pen slip from her fingers.  
  
"What the f-?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Hope you guys enjoy it!


	12. Mari: Sora Shiun'in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt longer than it should've been. Sorry to the readers. We're still in Mari's point of view but I think from the title you can tell where things are going.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up," Mari holds up her hand, closing her eyes in exhaustion. "Let me get this straight; you just invented this new Summoning method to defeat Strong Ishijima yesterday, but yet you have no idea how that happened or how you were able to do it in the first place?"  
  
Yuya blinks at her for a few times before shrugging. "Pretty much..."  
  
"You do realize that your explanation is complete bullshit, right?"  
  
He glares at her. "Well, I don't have any better ones to come up with so you're going have to deal with the one I gave you."  
  
Mari sighs. It was only the day after Yuya's victory against Strong Ishijima and today was Mari's only chance getting to talk to Yuya about this "Pendulum Summon" he came up with. She couldn't talk to him about it yesterday because he was crowded by people who were his "fans" and he came home right around the time she went to bed.  
  
So that's how the two siblings found themselves sitting at the dining, right across from the other, as their mother prepares their breakfast.  
  
"Yuya, Summoning methods don't just appear out of the blue," Mari tries to tell him in the simplest way that she could provide. "Especially not the way yours works. Are you a hundred percent sure you don't know where it came from?"  
  
"It's like I told you, Nee-san, it just came to me. I have no idea how I did it, it just happened," Yuya says, telling her the exact same answer he's been telling her these past few minutes, just making her sigh more.  
  
Normally, she would've left this situation alone if this was his actual answer, but something inside her told her that wasn't it. It made her worried because she knew that people will talk about it and it will eventually reach to some higher-ups, like the Leo Corporation.  
  
Ugh. Just thinking about that place leaves a bad taste in her mouth.  
  
"You know I'm just worried about you, right?" Yuya's eyes soften the moment he hears his sister's earnest tone. "I mean, we have no idea were this Summoning method came from but you were able to defeat the Champion with it, that's bound to attract some unwanted attention."  
  
"Yeah, I guess I see your point," he admits softly, now understanding why Mari was so insistent.  
  
"Just, try to be careful? Please?" Yuya nods, making Mari sigh out of relief this time. "Good. You give me so many heart attacks already and I'm not even Kaa-san's age yet."  
  
"I heard that young lady," Yoko speaks up, handing them their plate of pancakes. "And I'll have you know that I look amazing for my age."  
  
"Yeah, for someone who is in her mid-thirties," Yuya genuinely had to snort back a laugh when he saw the look on their mother's face.  
  
"Let's see you when you're thirty-five and wishing that you had my looks," with that, Yoko walks off to clean the dishes.  
  
"The problem with my looks is that I'm a huge contrast with light hair and dark skin, so I don't really care what I will look like in the future," Mari continues the conversation like Yoko could still her before digging into her pancake.  
  
Yuya digs in as well. "You're not still upset about her fussing over the pets instead of us, right?"  
  
"I'm not upset, I just find it a little insulting that she adopted two kids but when something cuter than them comes around, we're not her top priority anymore," Mari comments.  
  
Yuya decides to leave it at that since he could understand how frustrating Yoko's antics can be.

* * *

"Ah!" Yuya pops on top of Mari's bed later that night, clad in his pajamas. Mari, who was in her own pajamas as well while working on her drawing, scoots over to give him more room. "What a day!"  
  
"You want to tell me what happened?" she asks, her eyes never leaving her work.  
  
"Well," he begins hesitantly, knowing he's going to cause the spark to ignite the firecracker his sister is. "Someone from LDS challenged me to a Duel for my Pendulum cards," he tries to ignore the scary look Mari's face was now showing as she slowly turns her head to face him. "I won, so don't worry about it! But, then this random kid suddenly shows up, saying he wants to be my student. How am I supposed to react to that?"  
  
"Did you say 'no' to him?" Mari asks after putting her tablet away on her desk.  
  
"Well, yeah. He was a complete stranger that showed up out of nowhere. How could I not say 'no' to him?"  
  
"Good, if he was a stranger and he showed up right after this other kid tries to steal your cards, then you should deny him anything that involves getting close to you."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Yuya yawns before going under her covers. "I'm sleeping over tonight, too tired..."  
  
Mari rolls her eyes before turning off her lamp's light and getting under the covers herself. "Fine... Goodnight, clown."  
  
"Night, firecracker..." 

* * *

Mari had heard her mother talking to somebody when she started walking down the stairs. She suspected it must've been a new animal that she let in and decided to not question it. Her mother can keep as many animals as she wants, what matters is she and Yuya are going to keep En with them when they move out next year.  
  
However, it wasn't another cute animal. It was a boy, probably a couple years younger than Yuya. And he was sitting at the table while Yoko cooks breakfast.  
  
"Oh, Mari, ohayou!" Yoko greets her when she notices the nineteen-year-old over her shoulder.  
  
"Ohayou!" the boy greets her as well, the world's most fake smile she has ever seen on someone's face.  
  
"... So, you've decided kidnap children now, have you?" Mari finally decides to speak up, keeping her voice monotone and her eyes expressionless.  
  
Yoko laughs, knowing that she was only joking, while the kid at the table looked slightly mortified by her comment. "Oh, don't worry, Mari," she states as she places a plate of pancakes in front of the stunned boy. "I just saw him wandering around our house for a while and you know me, when I see hungry little ones, I just can't help myself!"  
  
"And here I thought you would learn to not trust innocent-looking kids after having me around," Mari comments as she took a seat that's right across from the other boy. "So, who are you?"  
  
"Um, I'm Shiun'in Sora! Sakaki Yuya's new student!" the boy, Sora, introduces himself cheerfully after getting over his shock. "Nice to meet you!"  
  
Mari just kept her eyes on the boy the whole time, something that Sora noticed right away and looks away uncomfortably. "S-So, what your relationship with Teacher?"  
  
Before Mari could say anything, a familiar voice speaks up. "Hey, Nee-san, what's going-"  
  
"Ah! Teacher!" Sora's shout of excitement prompt Mari to look over her shoulder just in time to see her brother fall to the floor.  
  
"What is he doing here?!" Yuya demands once he got himself off the floor.  
  
"Apparently, Kaa-san saw him wandering around our house and thought it would be a good idea to let him in," Mari explains as Yuya took his seat right next to hers. "Again, I'm still questioning why Kaa-san would take complete strangers in after letting us into her lives."  
  
Yuya opens his mouth to say something but was cut off by Sora. "Wait, you mean the one who's cooking us pancakes isn't your onee-san?"  
  
Now this catches Yoko's attention. "O-Onee-san?!"  
  
"Oh, did I get it wrong?!" Sora cries, trying to sound like he was embarrassed. "Gomenasai! It's just that you look so young and beautiful I thought that you were Teacher's onee-san."  
  
The siblings each share horrified looks. He did not just say that.  
  
A squeal bursts out of their mother's lips as she claps her hands together. "Oh, aren't you the sweetest boy ever! You can have as many pancakes as you want!" Yuya watches in horror as their mother places the pancakes that were meant for him and his sister in front of Sora.  
  
"Ah, Kaa-san that's our-!"  
  
"Arigato, Onee-san!" Sora thanks before digging into the pancake that he still hasn't finished yet.  
  
The two siblings share a look before sighing in unison.

* * *

Mari didn't start interrogating the boy until her brother left for school and Yoko was out of the room. Once she was sure no one else could hear them, Mari turns back to the boy and went straight to business. "Alright, who the hell are you?"  
  
Sora blinks, probably not expecting that tone from her. "Huh?"  
  
"Don't play dumb," she snaps. "I find it a little suspicious that you show up after a group of boys tried to steal my brother's cards by threatening his friends and the fact that you followed him to his house says enough to me that you want something from him."  
  
"W-What are you-?" Mari shakes her head when Sora began to pull the kicked puppy expression. Honestly, this kid...  
  
"Are you an accomplice of Sawatari Shingo?" she asks. "Or do you work for the Leo Corporation or some other company that I don't know about but wish that it doesn't exist? You know what? Nevermind," she cuts him before he could answer any of those questions. "It doesn't matter who you're working but know this."  
  
She leans closer, her green eyes piercing into his own green ones. "If I find out that you're a threat to my brother and his friends in any way, shape, or form, I will hunt you down and I will make sure that your life is a living hell. I don't care if you're younger, older, richer, poorer, powerful, or even below me, I will do anything it takes to stop you from hurting Yuya. Do you got that?"  
  
Sora's face had changed from the kicked puppy look to a neutral expression throughout her entire speech. It proved her suspicions right, at least; he wasn't some new fan of Yuya's Summoning method, he was somebody else working for something bigger. While she may not know what it was, Mari wasn't going to let it harm her brother while she's around.  
  
"You two are really alike," she blinks when her ears catch that small sentence from the boy's lips.  
  
"You wanna run that by me again?"  
  
Sora didn't even reply as he stood up and left through the front door. Mari watched him go before leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms, her eyes never leaving the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little piece of information, when I first saw Sora in ARC V, I just knew that there was something not right with him. Mari might've sounded pretty mean but that might've been because she's very protective of Yuya and the fact I was once a victim to fake friends; I began to notice who's faking from a mile radius. Sora set off all of those alarms the moment I first saw him.
> 
> By the way, happy birthday to Eiidachan! (I think I got the time zone right, I hope. If not, happy early or belated birthday!) I still can't thank you enough for all the support and the amazing fan art for this story. I hope you and everyone else enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my little Darklings! Now, don't worry, I'm still working on "A Demon's Smile" but this idea has been running around my head for quite a while so I decided: "Eh, why not?"
> 
> So, if any of you guys remember from my notes in "A Demon's Smile", I asked you guys how would feel if I wrote a story where the Yuboys had sisters, right? Well, ta-da!
> 
> In case you guys haven't already guessed, this is a re-write the original series. I'm going to do a little experiment on how far I can divert this from the canon and still make it a good quality story for you guys to enjoy. Hoped you enjoyed the little prologue I left for you guys!


End file.
